


Cramp

by glassgoblin



Series: Carol's Word-A-Day Calendar [122]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-08-27
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:06:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4657209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassgoblin/pseuds/glassgoblin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some runs are more exciting than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cramp

She crouched, trying to remain as still as possible even though her thighs were quivering and the bottoms of her feet were starting to burn from remaining in that position for far too long. Tara held her breath as much as she could too, not wanting her panicky breathing give her position away to the small herd of walkers that was crossing in front of the store she was hiding inside. It was not a good position to be in, at all.

The store was like too many of the others in this little strip mall; the entire front of the building was clear glass with sliding doors. They had propped the doors to several of the stores so that they wouldn’t be trapped by the unpowered door mechanisms and resort to breaking glass to get back out. It also helped to air out some of the small spaces. That seemed like a good decision at the time, but now she was hiding behind a cashier stand, hoping that none of the walkers would decide to come inside for a closer look.

There were reflective surfaces all around, which was another reason she had to be absolutely still. It also meant that she had limited visual contact with the walkers that were passing the mall though, and as she took a deep breath, holding it again for a moment, she saw that the herd was thinning. It gave her a little hope that her legs could stop cramping soon.

So far it seemed that their little run team had remained undetected. Tara hadn’t heard any commotion that would be a sign that one of their team had been discovered or attacked. Glenn was supposed to be two stores down, and there were three others from Alexandria who were in the largest store at the end of the row. That was the location with the most store front to worry about, and the largest set of doors. It had been quiet though; no screaming, no gunfire, and no breaking glass. She was about to let herself relax when one of the walkers outside paused next to her own doorway, sniffing the air as though it were a dog on the scent of a rabbit.

Tara didn’t like the thought that she was something’s rabbit. She tensed, breathing slowly so it wouldn’t be heard, and waited. There was movement behind the walker suddenly, and she saw Glenn grab the walker before it could fall, making noise to attract those that had already left, as he removed his knife from the back of the skull. He glanced around her store until she raised a hand above the counter and started to stand.

That hurt, and she had to stop and stay bent over for a moment until the pain in her legs faded. “Cramp,” she whispered when Glenn looked confused. He nodded and stepped further into the store.

“Let’s wait a few minutes to make sure the rest are gone before checking on the team. I think they’re fine,” He kept his voice down too, leaning against her check-out stand and cleaning his knife on the t-shirt rack that was next to it.


End file.
